STORY TIME: November 6th 2013
"Big Bold fire engines, waiting day and night, Ready for a rescue or a blazing fire to fight. As soon as there's a fire alarm, the engines start to roar. The firefighters jump aboard..it rumbles out the door." Jump aboard a bright red fire engine with a trio of friendly animal firefighters as sirens wail, lights flash, firehoses squirt, and fires blaze -- in this story that blends action and rhyme with all the details kids want to know about one of their favorite machines. The mix of visual entertainment and lively wordplay ensures that young children will delight in the reading experience, as will the adults fortunate enough to read aloud these irresistable rhymes!  




Join Edward and his cousin Judy as they spend a fun-filled day learning how to be firefighters. From a fire drill that leads to a slippery slide down a fire pole, to a hysterical battle with an out-of-control fire hose, Edward is in for an action-packed adventure. And when faced with a real emergency, it's Edward who saves the day! (Excerpt from Amazon.com)




CRAFT: Firetruck with the letter F
For this craft you will need to print off a firetruck coloring sheet, letter f from red construction paper, and a glue stick. First cut out the picture of the firetruck and the letter F. Then let your child color the truck and glue on the letter. Emphasize F is for Firetruck (hence the reason we are gluing it on)

Literacy Extenders:

• Talk about fire drills with your child and what they should do if there really is a fire.
• Read the book the boy who cried wolf and discuss why we should never joke about saying there is a fire.
• Go through your home and make a list of all things that can contain an element of fire.
• Buy a fire extinguisher for your home and show your child how it should be used (without using it)

STORY TIME: October 22nd 2013

Clang! Clang! Clang! Firefighters rush into their fireproof suits. They pull on their helmets, gloves, and boots. Then off they roar in their trucks—zooming away to save the day!









Children visit a fire station and learn how fire fighters do their work. Children learn all about a typical day for a fire fighter, they are introduced to new terms and vocabulary, and the all the different aspects of what it means to be a fire fighter.






Literacy Extenders:

• Do a practice fire drill at home with your family
• Get out boots, coats, hats, and snowpants, time your child to see how fast they can get dressed to head out to a fire
• Go through your home and identify all the different things that could start a fire, ask them why and remind of why they should never go near it.
• Learn about the science of smoke and why you are suppose to stay low to the ground if you are trapped in a fire.

Craft: Fire Chief Coloring book

For this craft you will need a sheet of red construction paper and some printed off images that deal with fire fighters. Fold the paper in half and add white paper to staple it together like a book. You or your child can cut out the images, color them, and glue them in their booklet. Click on the link below to be redirected to site where you can get free images to make your own book

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/coloring-pages/fire-safety/fire-fighter.html

STORY TIME: October 15th 2013

A very unique pumpkin delivers a special message of tolerance and self-acceptance that's just right for Halloween...and every day of the year. Plus, the book comes with a FREE CD that features the famous Bobby "Boris" Pickett (of "Monster Mash" fame) reading the story and singing songs--including one from the upcoming Spookley film!

What's going on in the pumpkin patch? Well, a very unusual pumpkin has hatched. While all others are round, Spookley is square. He's not like his friends-they have curves, he has ends. And so everyone teases him, night and day.
But just before Halloween, the weather turns stormy. Winds toss the round pumpkins to and fro, and off they go, crashing and bashing and smashing--except Spookley. Can he, with his square little body, save the day?
A delicious story about how good being different can be. And the imaginative end--a patch filled with all sorts of oddly shaped and colorful pumpkins--will thoroughly delight kids!

Orange: Seeing Orange All Around Us

Beautiful color is all around us, and it's everywhere in these award-winning books. Kids can almost taste the sweet oranges bursting from the book's pages and feel the lush, green grass tickling thier toes.

Craft: Pumpkin Life Cycle

For this craft you will need a scissors, glue, the provided worksheet.

Have yourself or your child cut out all the pumpkin sequence cards. Then discuss where they should be placed on the life cylce, then glue them down on the worksheet.  Click on the image below, to go to Education.com for this free worksheet.

Literacy Extenders:

• Go to the Pumpkin Patch, walk through and show your child all the different shapes that pumpkins can grow into. Ask them to show you large, ones, smaller ones, and medium ones to help with size identification.
• As you read the book Orange, talk about all the other things that we see in our daily lives that are orange. Talk about foods, toys, household objects, and nature.
• Check out other titles that deal with pumpkins, not just Halloween titles, but non fictions items that will build on their pumpkin life cycle worksheet.

STORY TIME: September 24th 2013

Down on the farm there are many colorful and noisy animals to spy. Look through the spy hole and use the clues to guess which one is next. Then turn the page to reveal the animal. Watch as young children quickly become engaged in the game — joining in with the animal noises, learning colors, and eventually recognizing the letters.

Farmer John’s tractor lies locked in the shed,rusty yet trusty and orangey red.
When the rain comes that season, it doesn’t let up, filling the river until it overflows, swirling and rushing and gushing. Down by the river, a car gets stuck, and the family inside shouts for help. As they climb to the roof, a series of vehicles — a speedy jeep, a strong tow truck, even a noisy fire engine — rush one by one to the scene. But each gets more stuck than the last. Is it possible that Farmer John’s ancient tractor, rusty as it is, could still be up for the job?












STORY TIME: September 17th 2013

What could be more fun than a train ride--the excitement of going places, the rhythmic sounds of the train clattering down the tracks, and the vivid window music of passing scenery. Suen's engaging text and Zahares' full-color illustrations capture the spirit of a train ride--from sky-high bridges to deep valleys to rolling vineyards to the lights of a distant city.



A little black train goes down the track. Clickety clack, clickety clack. There are chatting yaks, seven tumbling acrobats, a troupe of ducks going quack quack quack, and even some elephants on the little black train going down the track. With each new stop, the train gets more and more crowded, and noisier and noisier. Unfortunately for Driver Zach, two little mice give him a headache attack! This bright and colorful ride is packed with rhymes that will have even the littlest passengers chiming along.

ACTIVITY: The activity for these books was a train worksheet that focused on shape recognition. We construction paper shapes to glue at the top of the page, to use as a key. Then the children finished by coloring the paper. Click here to go to the train worksheet. The image/worksheet below is available for free at Education.com


Literacy Extenders:

• Make an alphabet train, with each car being a different letter, let you child label each train car with a letter.
• Talk about everyday shapes, where would you find circles? Sun, wheels, stoplights, see how many your child can come up with on their own before you start giving them prompts.
• Make train tracks with Popsicle sticks.
• Like the book Window Music, go for a walk or ride with your child and ask them what they hear, or what are the things that are going on around them as they pass by.

STORY TIME: September 10th 2013
Mouse feels lower than low. His forest friends, including Badger, Hedgehog, Rabbit, and Mole all knock themselves out trying to cheer up the little guy, to no avail. In the end, all Mouse really needs is a hug! Jed Henry’s wonderful illustrations, in watercolor pastels and colored pencils, beautifully complement the spare text. Readers will love seeing all the exuberant animal antics in trees, ponds, and even underground tunnels as they try to distract their gloomy friend. A charming antidote for the blues.



Sometimes the nickname Little Mouse just doesn't seem to fit, like when you feel as brave as a lion or as loud as an elephant. Other times, it's nice to be quiet and cozy, cuddly and dozy, especially when you're snuggled up on Mommy's lap. Mommy's little mouse.






CRAFT:Mouse Bookmark
For this craft you will need an image of a mouse cut out and a pipe cleaner. have your child first color their mouse, then bend it in half and make two small cuts about an inch apart, this is where the pipe cleaner will go. The mouse should be able to slide up and down on the pipe cleaner.

Literacy Extenders:

• Ask your child what kind of animal they would like to be? Have them compare their actions to animals.
• Go through the book again and talk about other animals that are quiet, cozy, strong, and brave. Ask them about times they have to be brave, explore those situations and use it as an opportunity to find more books. For example: Going to the Dr. or going to the dentist.
• Since cheer up mouse focuses on how to make someone happy, take this opportunity to talk about ways we can make others happy. Have your child make a card to send to a nursing home, or to soldiers over seas.

STORY TIME: September 3rd 2013
A fun and fact-filled ABC book -- all about apples!

Apples Beat Candy

Everyone knows that. But there is a lot more to learn about this delicious fruit.

Fox, Bear, and their friends lead young readers through an apple alphabet--from apple buds and blossoms through nutrition and orchards to the X on an apple pie. Along the way, apple lovers will pick up a windfall of apple science and lore, as well as fun facts and child-friendly information. And twenty-six apple varieties are introduced, even ones for X, Y, and Z!

Each page of this book is about a different place in our life where we would encounter the color red. Areas include roses, cherries, rubber boots and stop signs. Facts are included about each of the different areas. While each page includes illustrations or photographs, they are fairly simple. This book is designed for early or struggling readers. The vocabulary used is standard and practical. The last few pages are a color-based activity that explains how a child can learn about primary colors with just a few cupcakes, some frosting and food coloring. The book ends with an index, words to know, Internet sits and read-more sections. This book is a part of the "Colors" series. 2003, Capstone Press, 
— Caroline Haugen

Craft Activity : Fingerprint Apple Trees

For this activity you will need a drawing of a tree, crayons, a red ink pad or red finger paint. First let your child color their tree, then let your child press their finger in the ink or paint and let them put "apples" on their tree!

Literacy Extenders:

• Make an apple snack, cut up an apple and learn about fractions
• Make a list of all the different types of recipes that you can make with apples.
• Take a look inside the apple and show your child the seeds, and the shape it forms
• Make apple prints, cut an apple in half and dip them in paint to make prints on their paper.
• Talk about other fruits and veggies that are red. 

STORY TIME: August 27th 2013

Hooray!Parade
Someone's coming to play with you.
Can you guess who?

In this wonderful read-aloud for very young children,
Gramma comes to visit and brings a surprise . . . or two
. . . or three.
And a lot of the fun is guessing which surprise is next!
Part thoughtful play,
part playful imagination,
this tongue tickling tale of funny animals and loving family will entertain and involve children with each turn of the page!

I'm sitting in the time-out chair because my mother put me there. She said, "You try my patience, child! I do not like it when you're wild."

Wild?
Who me?
That is so absurd.
How could she even use that word?
If I were a lion.
I'd growl and roar
And knock the dishes on the floor...
AND if I were a bear...
If I Were a Lion is a book for every child who's ever been sent to the time-out chair — unjustly...or otherwise!

A little girl pleas her innocence from her time-out chair by contrasting her behavior with that of wild and ferocious animals.

Craft Activity: For this activity you will need a paper plate, crayons, glue, and lion color sheet. Cut out the the head of the lion, next cut where the mouth and teeth are. Fold the paper plate in half, glue the lions head/mane to the top part of the plate, next glue the mouth piece of the lion on the inside of the plate, so it makes a puppet with the teeth showing.

Literacy Extenders: Try singing this rhyme with your child and encourage them to make actions to go with each animal. You can also find a link to more songs and finger plays by clicking on the link. http://preschool.colonial.net/Teachers/Brown/songsPDFs/zoosongs2010.pdf

Roar, Hiss, and Growl 

 (to the tune of: “Did You Ever See A Lassie?”) 

Did you ever hear a (lion), a (lion), a lion)? 

Did you ever hear a (lion)? It sounds just like 

this! 

It (roars) and (snarls); it (roars) and (snarls). 

Did you ever hear a (lion)? It sounds just like 

this! 

*continue with: 

 snake = rattles, hisses 

 monkey = ooh-oohs, aah-aahs 

 hyena = hee-hees, ha-has 

 zebra = whickers, whinnies 

 bear = grumbles, growls 

STORY TIME: August 20th 2013

A little boy visits the zoo to look for the perfect pet. But the cheetah is too fast, the turtle is too slow, the gorilla is too hairy, and the crocodile is too scary! Could it be that the best pet of all has been in front of his nose the whole time? Illustrated clues throughout the book hint at the boy's ultimate pet.








Short and fuzzy, long and scaled: no matter their size and shape, tails aren't just hanging around—they’re useful! This fun, informative book invites readers to guess the owner of nine tails, and then turn the page to see the animal and its tail in action.








Craft Activity: 
For this craft you will need, the letter S, a small paper plate, glue, and crayons. Let your child color all the pieces first, then cut out the letter S and cut the paper plate into a spiral. Then glue the inside coil of the paper plate to the letter S, so that it is long and spiraling.  
Click on the link below to download the letter S color sheet. 
http://www.preschool.co.za/modules.php?name=Downloads&op=viewdownload&cid=8&min=10&orderby=titleA&show=10

Literacy Extenders:

• Talk with your child about the these two books, discuss the differences between zoo animals and animals that can be pets. Go through the second book all about tails and ask them which animals can be pets and which ones cannot.
• Get out some old magazines or another animal book, take a half sheet of paper and cover part of the animal and ask your child what type of animals it is.
• Talk to your child about their last trip to the zoo and talk about all the different animals they saw, then have them tell you what the first letter of each animal name is.
• Both of these titles also present the opportunity for you to discuss habitats. Tell your child what a habitat is, see if they can describe their own habitat, then go through the books or a different magazine and talk about where the animals live.